Pro Field Report

Observation Details

Signs of Unstable Snow

Snow Stability

Bottom Line

Quick tour out the ridge with a bit of powder skiing thrown in for good measure. Most interesting observation was the presence of a melt-feeze/rain crust down 10-15cm from the snow surface on that Salmon River side of the pass. I found this crust between 8,500' (low point of tour) and 9,300'. The crust was ski supportable up to 9,200', then became a bit more fragile and faded out quickly above. I looked for and did not find this crust on the Wood River side of the pass. The crust was 2-3cm thick, P hard, and composed primarily of melt-freeze polycrystals that were capped with a subtle ice lens. Will be interesting to see if this is more widespread on the north side of the pass (in the Headwaters and up into the Sawtooths) or if it is just some localized weirdness. Will also be interesting to see if warm temperatures help the upper snowpack to melt together or if this layer stays distinct.

Wind was picking up that afternoon, mostly restricted to upper elevation ridgelines. Plenty of snow for transport but it didn't seem like there was much constructive loading going on. Cool ambient temperatures and lack of direct sunshine had kept the snow surface dry and cold, for the time being.